This year’s spring weather in the Pacific Northwest has been cooler than usual. The peonies are in full bloom in June, and they inspired me to write this improvised piece.
This writing also marks the beginning of a wonderful collaboration with Jeffrey Streeter. (I am grateful to Jeffrey for finding time during his travel to contribute to the story of Jane Kenyon!) Our common interest in culture and literature led Jeff and me to the idea of our collaboration. We hope this piece will bring the appreciation of peony and the beauty of the artistic creations surrending it to all of you!
The History of Peony
Peony has been reported to have dated back to 1000 BC, in the gardens of China. Peony breeding began in the imperial courts during the Tang dynasty. The practice reached Japan and other parts of Asia in the eighth and eleventh centuries. Although peony appeared in the stories of Asclepius and Aphrodite in Greek mythology, it was not until the 1800s that it gained popularity in Europe.
In English, peony refers to any flowing plant in the genus Paeonia. But in Chinese, you will have to be more specific—牡丹 (mǔdān), or Moutan, is a section under the genus Paeonia specifically referring to the tree peony native to China; Herbaceous peony has a different Chinese name, 芍药 (sháoyào), which belongs to the Paeonia section under the same Paeonia genus.
Herbaceous peonies produce leaves, which form handsome rounded mounds that die back in the autumn, while tree peonies have woody stems that remain during the winter. Tree peonies are distinguished from herbaceous peonies by their woody stems and shrub-like growth habit and are slow to mature. Once they are grown, however, they may live for over 100 years, and produce more flowers than herbaceous peonies. Both types of peonies are hardy and rely on the cold winter temperatures to trigger the development of flower buds. Their flowers can have double or single petals.
The Chinese have been cultivating tree peonies for centuries. 牡丹 (mǔdān) holds significant cultural and historical importance, often symbolizing wealth, prosperity, and elegance. It appears in poetries and artworks and is often present on celebratory occasions.
Growing up in Shanghai, we did not plant peonies in our garden—winter in Shanghai was not cold enough to help form the flower buds. The only peonies I saw were the embroidered flowers on satin comforter covers. I loved the thick, heavy, and smoothness of the silky fabric but not so much of the bright colored flowers—they were too “gaudy” to my young (and heavily Western culture-influenced) esthetic taste. The peonies that own my heart were those lived in poetry—the Tang Verses, Song Lyrics, and Yuan Songs, 唐诗宋词元曲.
Peonies in Poetry
In Chinese poetry, the color and fragrance of the peony are often used to symbolize women, beauty, and romance. Some poems explicitly admire the beauty of Mudan, while others implicitly pine for the sentiment and romance.
“Mudan, the real beauty of the realm, its blooming awakens the bustling imperial citadel.”
唯有牡丹真国色，花开时节动京城。
—Liu Yuxi 刘禹锡 (772 - 842) in his Tang Verse Admiring the Mudan 赏牡丹1
“The clouds desire the folds of her dress, flowers fancy the beauty of her countenance; Spring breeze caresses the latticed rail, lush dewdrops glisten densely, petals' refrain”
云想衣裳花想容，春风拂槛露华浓。
—Li Bai 李白 (701-762) in his Tang Verse Qing Ping Tune 清平调2
“Spring wanes, the fading crimson fading away, tears spray in front of the winecup stray.”
清明过了，残红无处，对此泪洒尊前。
—Su Shi 苏轼 (1037-1011) in his Song Lyric Flowers in the Rain 雨中花慢3
“Die a romantic ghost, underneath the blossoming peony.”
牡丹花下死，做鬼也风流。
—Zhu Lian Xiu 珠帘秀 (13 - 14 Century Yuan dynasty period singer-actress) in her Yuan Song Yu Fu Rong 玉芙蓉4
The rich, luxuriant texture of peonies tends to excite the imaginations of Western poets in modern times, too. A wonderful but also rather sad story is that of US poet Jane Kenyon. In 1991, she wrote a gloriously hyperbolic essay about her peonies, in which she said:
These are not Protestant-work-ethic flowers. They loll about in gorgeousness; they live for art; they believe in excess. They are not quite decent, to tell the truth.
It’s wonderfully over the top and yet heartfelt. (An excerpt is available here.) She also wrote a poem, Peonies at Dusk (1993) about the flowers as a companion piece. It’s a beautiful work that starts with similar sentiments to those of the essay but ends on a quieter and more intimate note:
In the darkening June evening
I draw a blossom near, and bending close
search it as a woman searches
a loved one’s face.
You can read the entire poem here.
The sad part of this is that Kenyon passed away in 1995 from cancer at the age of 47. Her husband Donald Hall, also a poet, would go on to write about her peonies in their garden, which continued to bloom after her death:
“Your peonies lean their vast heads westward / as if they might topple. Some topple.”
The whole story is more fully told here.
Peonies in Painting
From Tang dynasty Zhou Fang’s The Flower-Adorned Court Ladies (said to be the earliest peony painting existing), to 20th century Chang Dai-chien’s The Opulent and Noble Peony, many artists have painted peonies throughout Chinese history.
Of all the artists, one notable figure (maybe more known in China than his own country), 郞世宁 Giuseppe Castiglione is worth mentioning.
Castiglione was sent to the imperial court in China as a Jesuit painter in 1715, and served three Qing dynasty emperors. He took the Chinese name 郞世宁 Láng Shìníng and painted in a unique style that is a blend of European technique and Chinese compositional sensibility and themes. Among his works, peony had made several appearances. Today he is widely recognized as one of the best peony-painting artists in China.
Peony Fun Facts
In Chinese culture, the tree peony was priced over the herbaceous peony. There were folk tales metaphorize unmarried daughters from wealthy and aristocratic families as 牡丹 (mǔdān), and their handmaids 芍药 (sháoyào).
The 药 in 芍药 (herbaceous peonies) means medicine in Chinese. Peonies have been used in Chinese traditional herbal medicine for centuries.
There are more than 6,500 varieties of peonies, with new ones being constantly introduced. While the Netherlands has always been the largest cut flower producer, Alaska is an emerging source for producing millions of cut peonies due to its longer and cooler growing season, perfect for the June - September wedding season—that leads to our next fun fact.
Peony’s large and layered flowers, vibrant colors, intoxicating fragrance, and romance symbolism make it a popular bridal flower choice. They're also the traditional flower for the12th wedding anniversaries.
I have been planting peonies in gardens for several years now, first in our New Jersey home, then here in the Pacific Northwest. The micro-climate of our backyard has not made the job easy or results rewarding, and I was on the brink of giving up.
A recent post from a friend led me to visit the Adelman Peony Garden. The vast field of over 400 varieties of peonies rekindled my love for the flowers. I bought a flower bouquet with tender peony buds along with 4 potted plants ready to be rehomed. I am committing to make these gorgeous flowers the star of my garden!
刘禹锡 赏牡丹
庭前芍药妖无格，池上芙蕖净少情。
唯有牡丹真国色，花开时节动京城。
李白 清平调
云想衣裳花想容，春风拂槛露华浓。
若非群玉山头见，会向瑶台月下逢。
苏轼 雨中花慢
今岁花时深院，尽日东风，荡扬茶烟。但有绿苔芳草，柳絮榆钱。闻道城西，长廊古寺，甲第名园。有国艳带酒，天香染袂，为我留连。清明过了，残红无处，对此泪洒尊前。秋向晚，一枝何事，向我依然。高会聊追短景，清商不暇馀妍。不如留取，十分春态，付与明年。
珠帘秀 醉西施——玉芙蓉
寂寞几时休？盼音书天际头。加人病黄鸟枝头，助人愁渭城衰柳。满眼春江都是泪，也流不尽许多愁。若得归来后，同行共止，便是牡丹花下死，做鬼也风流。
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Gorgeous!!
Those paintings by Castiglione 🩷 are wonderful. And lovely collaborate by the both of you. Assuming there's more to come? 😉